Lew Brown American lyricist for popular songs and theatrical compositions Date of Birth: 10.12.1893 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Career
2. Collaborating with Tilzer and Henderson
3. Henderson-DeSylva-Brown: The Golden Era
4. DeSylva's Departure and Later Collaborations
5. Biopic and Legacy

Early Life and Career

Lew Brown was born on December 10, 1893, in Odessa, Ukraine. At the age of five, he immigrated to the United States with his family. As a teenager, he began writing parodies of popular songs and original lyrics. In 1912, he co-wrote his first song, "I'm the Lonesomest Gal in Town," with veteran composer Albert Von Tilzer.

Collaborating with Tilzer and Henderson

Brown continued to collaborate with Tilzer and other composers, and in 1922, he joined forces with composer and pianist Ray Henderson. Three years later, lyricist Buddy DeSylva joined the duo, and the trio quickly made a name for themselves with the score for their second Broadway show, "George White's Scandals."

Henderson-DeSylva-Brown: The Golden Era

In 1927, the writing team also worked on the musicals "Good News" and "Mary of Manhattan." The following year, the trio wrote the score for "Hold Everything," followed by new editions of "George White's Scandals" in the late 1920s and "High Flyers" in 1930. Beyond the theater, they penned numerous hit popular songs and contributed to early Al Jolson films, including "Sonny Boy" and "It All Depends on You."

DeSylva's Departure and Later Collaborations

After DeSylva's departure in 1931, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson continued to work together on Broadway musicals. Brown also collaborated with other composers and tried his hand at directing.

Biopic and Legacy

In 1956, the feature film "The Best Things in Life Are Free" was released, loosely based on the story of Henderson-DeSylva-Brown. The film depicted the trio's initial success on Broadway, but also portrayed personal ambitions that led to DeSylva's eventual departure.